A common architecture of a source driver for a display device is a chip-on-glass (COG) architecture or a chip-on-film (COF) architecture. The former applies a flip chip bonding technology to directly dispose source driver integrated circuits (IC) onto a glass substrate, while the latter applies the flip chip bonding technology to directly dispose source driver IC and active components onto a flexible printed circuit board/film (PCB), which is in turn connected to a substrate.
Compared to the COF architecture, wires of the COG architecture are disposed on the glass substrate, which reduces the assembly area in the PCB. The COG architecture thus has a cost-effective advantage and is usually implemented in small size display panels. However, signals can easily be reflected in the transmission channels in the COG architecture, thereby causing poor signal quality. In addition, re-working may cause damages to the display panel. Further, the IC may be deformed at a high temperature.
For the COF architecture, signal reflections during the signal transmission are relatively small, and further, the transmitted signals have better quality. In addition, display panel damages due to bonding defects can be avoided. The COF architecture is more suited for large-size, high-resolution displays. However, because a great number of wires needs being laid on the PCB, a relatively large assembly area is required in the PCB. The wires and/or film of the COF architecture may also generate signal noises and causes heating problems.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.